Blood Tells All
by Demons Anarchy of Pride
Summary: Ah... You've found yourself a new Hunter... And the child of the origin, at that... Rated M for blood, gore, and intense violence
1. Opening Act

**I finally got my hands on Bloodborne, and I have to say... This idea will be damn right dark for you guys. Hope you enjoy. Also, credits go for the author of the story "A True Zero" for the inspiration needed to write this story.**

**Now, let me be the first to welcome you... to Yarnham. *cackles***

_Familiar of Zero X Bloodborne  
_

**Blood Tells All  
**

Opening Act: Absolute Zero

_**Yarnham.**_

_** The Forgotten City.**_

_** The City of Blood Miracles.**_

_** The Bloody City of Healing.**_

_** It has been known by many names in the past, and each name has always been referred to by it's specialty. Yarnham has been known for it's quality expertise in blood ministration. In fact, according to a rumor, there is even a remedy capable of curing any illness, even diseases that cannot be cured. Would it be possible for such a remedy to exist? Can it truly heal all wounds?**_

_** Many have sought out this fabled remedy... but none have returned.**_

_** Be warned, traveler, for this fabled city of hope... is now a hollow den of nightmares. The people are ravaged by a plague, turning them into maddening beasts. Should they discover you, you shall be slaughtered, and killed, and perhaps, if fate is cruel to you, join their numbers.**_

_** Should you enter this world, you should best remember... This is no mere nightmare.**_

_** This is the world that we exist in.**_

_** Turn back now... or abandon all hope.**_

_** This is your only warning.**_

* * *

"Oh, yes... Paleblood..." A voice echoed off the walls of a room cloaked in deep shadows; the only source of light coming from torches attached to the stone surface. In the center of the room was a hunched figure, seated on an ornate chair. "Well, you've come to the right place." His tone held amusement. "Yarnham is the home of ministration. You need only unravel its mystery. But where's an outsider like yourself to begin?" He slowly rose from his seat and made his way over. His face was slowly being illuminated by the burning torches. "The answer's simple... with a bit of Yarnham blood of your own."

he one he was staring at was a young girl, who looked around the age of fifteen or sixteen, despite her height making her look as if she were much younger. Her eyes were of the same color as her hair, a very light shade of strawberry red that came down past her shoulders and stopping above the midsection of her back. Her eyes were completely blank, as if she were not fully there, and her clothes were stained with murk and mud.

The man was old looking, his eyes hidden by bandages, and a tophat obscuring most of him. His clothes were old and worn. "Well, before we get started..." the old man said as he wheeled himself over to the girl. "Let's start with a contract, shall we?"

"..." The girl remained silent, unsure how to answer. But her body moved on its own and completed the piece of binding the man had given her.

"Good. All signed and sealed. Now let's being the transfusion."

The girl's eyes looked up at the ceiling, her eyes staring at the single burning lamp. "Now, whatever happens..." the man told her as he began the transfusion. "You may think it all one bad dream..."

After that, the darkness took her. Her body felt weighted, sleepiness consuming her before she felt her eyes beginning to open once again. The room was now dark, the creeping shadows dancing all around her like a quiet symphony. She still felt her body unable to move, her eyes being the only one to search as she turned her head.

There was a pool of blood on the floor. That alone would be cause for concern... but there was something even worse than that. Something was emerging from the pool, something large and foul. It had beastial features, resembling a wolf of some sort, it's fur soaked in red, and its claws sharp and deadly.

It's eyes found her, and it began to pull itself out from the bloody pool.

It stalked towards her. SHe was unable to move. Only remain still as the decaying beast approached. It crawled up the bed and slowly reached toward her head, its claws inching closer. But it threw its arm up and jumped back as a ball of fire struck its form setting it ablaze.

The beast the slumped down onto the floor, its body charred and blackened. But hte horrors did not cease after that. At the foot of the bed, a white, ghastly, skeletal like figure with a thin, disfigured head crawled up and moved towards her. She turned to her right and saw another one, this time, much closer. All around her, more of these beings crawled up and around her. Their hands reaching down to her face.

The darkness was beginning to lull her away once again. Her eyes fell closed once more. As the darkness swept her away, she heard a voice call out to her, a calm, soothing voice that seemed to bring her at ease... yet she felt some sort of meaningless tone, a feeling that was artificial. It was so cold, so... lifeless.

"Ah... You've found yourself a new hunter..." the voice said softly once she was finally embraced by the darkness. "And the child of the origin at that..."

Her eyes snapped open, scanning her surroundings once more. She was still in the same room as before. She wiggled her fingers and toes, testing their movement. She then slowly propped herself upright on the bed she laid in.

"What..." the girl muttered as she placed a hand to her forehead. "...was that...?"

She tried to recall the events prior to waking up. The last thing she remembered was meeting that old man, but there was something else... something she was missing.

"My name..." she whispered as her hands gingerly touched her face, as if trying to search for a memory that was not there. "I don't... recall it..."

She desperately tired to search the deep recesses of her mind for any indication of her identity, but was unable to find anything. In its place was nothing. A mere blank. Emptiness. As if it were removed without any trace of remnants.

A truly lost situation.

Sighing, the girl lifted herself from the bed and onto the floor. The blood was gone, as if it were never there. Her clothes were a simple white shirt with a red fine vest, an overturned collar with a black, along with a black laced tie. A black cloak hung on her body, reaching down to her small, thin forearms, and a hood covering her head. A black blouse reached down to her calves, along with black riding boots.

"This place..." she murmured, almost listlessly, as she looked around, slowly descending down the stairs. The floorboards creaked beneath each step, the echoes of her boots clapping against the wood being the only sounds she could hear. The girl looked around, the world around her being nothing but a wooden clinic, steel beams being the only support. It had seen better days, without a doubt. The wood was rotten, the beams eroding, and the tapistry that could be seen was torn apart. The furniture was overturn, and blood sprayed everywhere as if a massacre had taken place.

She then noticed a moving shape at the far end of the room. SHe slowly crept closer to get a better look. It was a wolf-like creature, its flesh decomposing. It was not unlike the beast from before. It was circling around a single spot in the room, not doubt waiting for prey to appear.

he girl hid behind the wall, peering out to see it devouring a corpse. Though she was unable to make it out fully, she could see a wheelchair tossed at the far end of the room. It appeared to be one of the patients, or perhaps the man she met earlier. She did a quick double check around her surroundings, but found nothing she could use as a weapon. All she had was a pointed stick, shaped like a wand or a pointer or of something akin to it.

Against a beast like that, it was just practically useless. Perhaps she could find another way around it?

"No, impossible..." the girl muttered as she looked around the room the wolf-like creature was in. She saw no exist, all save for one... directly in front of the damned monster.

She had only one option.

Breathing deep to calm her nerves, she steeled her resolve. She left her hiding spot to try and sneak around the monster while it was preoccupied with its meal, hoping that it wouldn't take notice.

Tiptoing her way, she ducked underneath the chairs and tables whenever the creature looked up after swallowing large chunks of meat. Her heart was pounding against her chest, thumping loudly as she moved from hiding place to hiding place.

However, as she moved towards the door, a loud, unsettling 'creak' came about from her feat.

Almost immediately, the creature stopped eating, and slowly turned to see her, her petite small frame frozen in place. In nearly a split second, she threw herself to the ground, barely evading being torn apart by razor sharp fangs.

She rolled to the side to avoid the beast's claw from crashing down on her cranium. She pulled herself up flee from the beast, which leapt after her and crashed into the wooden tables.

"Too fast!" she scowled as she tried to evade the beast's attacks, its eyes bearing into her own. She leaped back to avoid being torn apart, and then rolled away when it leaped toward her, it's body crashing into the wall. "Che..."

The girl was about to move away when her foot suddenly caught itself on something, forcing her body to the ground. She could have sworn she heard something crack and twist as she fell to the ground. The beast took this opportunity, shrugging off it's warped senses before focusing its attention back to her, and growled deeply.

It leaped, it's large body pouncing atop her own. She gasped for when she felt it's claws slamming her weak arms to the floor, it's decaying face staring right back at her. It's hot breath, foul and almost gagging, entered her nostrils, and drool falling down to her face.

She could only watch as it opened it's mouth, revealing rows of jagged, sharp, and bloody red teeth.

The last thing she saw was it's mouth clamping down, and the rest was only darkness.

She had died... hadn't she?

* * *

SHe felt disembodied for a moment. Her senses did not quite match up with what was racing in her mind. Her memories of the beast seemingly devouring her. The fear she felt. The adrenaline that pumped in her veins. But now, she sensed nothing.

Slowly, she felt her senses slowly returning to her. Her slender digits began to twitch, her shoulders shuffling, her toes wiggling, and her legs beginning to move. A small groan escaped her, quiet as a mouse, and her eyes fluttered open. Slowly, her body rose until she was on all fours, and looked up.

A gasp escaped her. "What...?"

SHe was alive. But how? She was so close to death but a mere few moments ago. She then turned to scan her surroundings. SHe was still in the same spot from before. But there were a few significant changes to the setting.

The scenery was no longer a room of an old, decaying building. Now, rather, it was a beautiful graveyard, tombstones leading up to what appeared to be a church, evident by the cross atop the roof. Lit candles were lined up on the steps, leading up to the crimson doorway, and beautiful white flowers were everywhere.

What caught her eye was a figure sitting near the steps, their face absolutely lifeless, and their body without movement.

"Where..." the girl muttered as she looked around. "...is this...?"

"This, my dear young Lorelei..." an old voice spoke behind her. "Is a refuge for those like you, those who wish to transcend the hunt."

Turning sharply around, the girl faced yet another old man, except this one had more finer features. His clothes were old and worn, but granted him the appearance of a caretaker of sorts, calm and wise with an old, aged face, along with a hat sitting atop his head.

"Lorelei...?" the girl repeated, tilting his head. "Is that... my name...?"

"Do you wish to be called something else, child?" the old man asked gently.

"No...it's not that." The girl shook her head. "It's just...is that my real name? I have no memory of my previous identity."

"Ah, I see." The elderly man nodded in understanding. "The name Lorelei has no significance... but it can be a blessing, given to the correct person." the old man explained. "I am Gerhman... a caretaker of this place, you could say."

"Caretaker?"

"The Dream Refuge," Gerhman began as he pushed his wheelchair towards the church. "It is a safe haven for those wishing to escape the nightmare of Yarnham... Tell me, child, do you know the story of this city, which had been once famed for it's miracles made of blood?"

"...No...no I don't." Lorelei shook her head. SHe possessed no knowledge of her past. So this information sounded foreign to her.

"Yarnham was once a beautiful city, a place of healing..." Gerhman told her. "It was also the home of blood ministration. If one was to learn it's secrets, they would need a bit of Yarnham blood of their own." A meeting with the old man from earlier sparked a memory in Lorelei, recalling those same words. "However, do take heed, dear girl... The city, once known as a place of miracles, is now a den of nightmares, some beyond even your darkest imagination and creation. A plague had struck, and now... there is hardly anyone that is not touched by insanity here."

The old man turned to the church. "Tonight is the night of the hunt, Lorelei... You had best slay a few beasts for your own good."

"Hunt? What hunt?" SHe asked, wanting clarification for the term.

"For Blood Echoes..." The man said no more as he wheeled himself away. Lorelei was left alone, with more questions than answers. Blood Echoes? What are those? And what tools would she have to hunt with?

As if to answer her question, a dark circle appeared on the steps, catching the girl off guard. To her shock, the small creatures from before were crawling their way up, stopping when their upper bodies were fully exposed. Even more surprising, they were carrying weapons. "For me?" she asked in surprise. The creatures didn't say anything, they just held out the weapons. The first weapon appeared to be some kind of cane with a sharp, bladed edge. It truly appeared fearsome, despite it's form, but the same could be said about the other two. They were simple thin handles with a large, jagged blade, the first in the shape of a cleaver, and the second, a more straight, finer edge in the form of a spear. Alongside them were two guns, both of them handguns.

Lorelei took only two weapons: the cleaver, and the large pistol. The creatures nodded in understanding of her choice, and delved back into the dark hole from which they crawled out of.

"So..." Lorelei looked at her weapons. "These are my tools?"

She then noticed that there were more of the strange creatures touching what appeared to be a tombstone, their hands gliding over the marble. It almost looked as if they were in mourning. "The hunt, eh...?" Lorelei muttered as she walked toward the grave, kneeling before it. "Well then... I suppose I should get started then, shouldn't I?"

Her vision soon blacked out.

* * *

When she regained consciousness, she was back at the clinic. She got back up and felt the weight of her weapons in hand. Then she recalled the savage beast in the torn room. Before, she had been killed. But now, it's an entirely new story.

Slowly, she walked inside the room. She found the wolf-like creature, it's body hanging over the mangled corpse it had been feeding on from before she had interfered with it's meal.

This time, she did not bother hiding or avoiding it. Raising her pistol, she steadied her aim, and pulled the trigger back.

The bullet shot out and impacted with the beast's skull. Using this moment of weakness, she lunged forward and swung her arm, the blade of her weapon tearing through its neck.

Blood splattered across her face, the feeling unpleasant. The creature did not even have a chance to howl in pain or cry out in agony, as it's head fell to the ground, rolling away, it's eyes still wide in shock from having been shot. The body was limp, hanging for a second, then two, then three.

Four seconds was all that was needed for it to fall to it's knees, and then down to the ground.

It lay there dead. But from its corpse, pale, blue wisps rose from it and melded into her own form. She felt a form of...fulfillment from this experience. As if it were a meal that satisfied her hunger. But it was more than that. It was almost as it she gained a new form of energy.

"Was this what he was referring to...?" Lorelei wondered before she looked at the door. She holstered her gun, and the grip on her blade tightened.

"Alright then..." she whispered to herself as she placed her hand against the door, pushing it open and allowing the light of the sun to break away the darkness. "Let the hung begin."

And so the child of the origin walked into the nightmare, not knowing the blood she will be stained with.

* * *

_**Tonight is the night of the hunt.**_

_**Tonight, no one is safe.**_

_**There is no place to run.**_

_**There is no place to hide.**_

_**Dear traveler, take heed...**_

_**Tonight is the night of the hunt.**_

_**Tonight... blood shall be spilled.**_


	2. The First Act

And here we stand once again in the nightmare...

Once more, ladies and gentlemen... welcome to Yharnam.

A Familiar of Zero X Bloodborne Crossover

_**Blood Tells All**_

* * *

_The First Act: The Hunt Begins_

* * *

When Lorelei opened the gates, she found herself stunned, staring at what was laid out before her.

If one were to describe the scene...it would be deemed a vision from hell. Pools of blood filled the streets as buildings were lit with blazing embers.

The sky was painted with orange, the sun slowly dipping into the horizon, hidden behind several black square shadows. The entire city was unlike anything she had seen, far different from the old building behind her. Towering skyscrapers and bridges, reaching across ghastly gaps, were everywhere. However, the streets were lined with pyres, flames raging across charred corpses. She could see various men walking the streets, dressed average clothes, some were imposing figures with large hats, wielding torches and axes and cleavers and cutlasses and pitchforks.

And then there were the coffins. So, so many coffins laid about on the streets, chained up tightly as if fearing the dead would come awake and stalk the streets.

"What the hell happened here?" she found herself asking as she stepped forward, out into the streets, her boots clacking against the cobblestone pavement beneath her. "Is this... what Gehrman meant by the hunt?"

Her questions remained unanswered as her eyes remained trained to the dismal sights before her.

She scrunched her face in disgust, her nostrils taking in the nauseating smell of burnt flesh and floating ash. "What happened here?" she asked herself before she shook her head, looking around. Right now, she needed to find someone who could fill her in on what was going on. With that in mind, she took off, heading to the only path available to her. It was just off to the side, leading upwards. She could see old carriages turned on their sides, others bashed up.

Whatever had happened here...it was anything but pleasant. Lorelei tightened her grip on her cleaver and pistol. If that something was still here, she must not hesitate in killing it.

She stepped past the carriage. To her right was a gate, much like the one she passed through earlier, though it was sealed up tightly. To her left was a dead end, marked by carriages and overturned crates and other piles of junk. Her eyes caught sight of a brisk, tall man dragging an axe behind him, holding a torch. His face was hidden by a large hat.

"Oh, someone." Lorelei smiled slightly. However, something in the back of her mind told her to be weary, to have her weapon at the ready. "Excuse me, sir? Can you tell me what's..."

She trailed off when the man turned to face her. Her eyes widened in fright. His eyes were bandaged, but most of his face was marred by a heavy, thick strap of hair... and it was most certainly not a beard.

He growled, and brought up his axe. Her body went into autopilot, and quickly backstepped away. The axe slammed into the ground with a thud.

"what the hell?!" the woman shouted. But the figure made no indication of hearing her. He brought up his axe again to bisect her. Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Lorelei took her own cleaver and blocked the descending blade.

The axe was hefted up, and in that moment, she took up her gun, and fired. The bullet hit him in the chest, causing him to cry out in pain, almost like a shrilled shriek, and fell on his knee. Lorelei took her Saw Cleaver, and brought it down.

A sickening squelch resounded as the rigged edge tore through flesh and bone. The cleaver cut through the figures torso, ripping out part of its chest.

She didn't stop. Using the momentum, she whirled around, and the blade moved, going from being in front of the handle to atop it. With a spin, the Saw Cleaver lopped off the man's head, ceasing his inhuman cries of pain. His head, face frozen in anger and shock, fell to the ground, bouncing atop the cobblestone before coming to a stop. The man's body fell back, limp and lifeless. Similar to the wolf she killed in the lobby of the apparent clinic, pale wisps danced from the corpse, and flowed into her.

She still wasn't sure what those things were...but she feels a sense of...fulfillment upon receiving them.

She calmed her nerves, staring at the decapitated body as her cleaver flipped back to it's original state. Strangely, she did not feel sick, or nauseous about what she had done. She wasn't sure if it was because the man was obviously not human, or for another reason she knew nothing of. However, she could see that whoever he was, he had obviously killed before. She found blood splattered across his body, dried and old, and his axe was rusty and dull.

"...Just what the hell happened to this city?"

Whatever happened to the town...it was sure for the worst. There wasn't a single soul aside from the one she just killed. The streets were cluttered and lifeless while the buildings were slowly burning down.

_'Is anyone even alive?'_ she wondered briefly before she looked off to the side, where she had seen the man. There were to bodies lying on the ground, one lying flat on his back, and the other resting against a crate. 'Are they dead?' she wondered, about to check on them when she remembered what remembered the man from earlier. She brought up her gun, and held her weapon closely. It did not hurt to be careful. For all she knew, they could be playing dead.

If that were the case...

She had to be cautious, either they were playing dead to avoid the murderers like the guy from before...or they were playing possum as a means to trap and ambush passerbys.

_'Only one way to find out.'_

She cautiously stepped forward, her footsteps quiet and slow. As she neared them, she could see that they too had their eyes covered, with thick fur growing along their face. The one resting on the crate was worse, as nearly all of his face was covered by it. She turned her gaze away, and to the man on the floor. His eyes were closed, but she could see the subtle change of level in his chest. She also noticed one other fact: he was holding a sickle.

She aimed the gun, and pulled the trigger.

"Guagh!" The man gagged from the sudden impact of the bullet tearing through his throat from the close range shot. The grip on his sickle loosened, causing it to be flung away from him. He was reduced to a half-dead body as he was drowning in his own blood.

She slammed the cleaver down again, this time stabbing him in the head. The commotion caused the beastial-like man to rise up, eyes alert. The moment he found Lorelei, standing over a dead body, he snarled, bearing sharp fangs that did not belong to a human, and raised his sickle, running at her.

Lorelei ducked underneath the swing, swinging her cleaver as she moved. The man was sent to the ground, a stump that used to be his leg present. "Gagh...!" the man howled in pain, his inhuman eyes glaring at Lorelei. "D-damned... beast...!"

She scoffed. "Have you looked in the mirror?" she said before she extended her cleaver, and impaled his skull.

The bestial body twitched slightly before his functions ceased. His limbs fell still on the ground. The woman ripped the blade from the body. Even more wisps rose from the corpses she had jusr slain and flowed into her body.

"...That's three people I killed," she bemused, smiling sadly. "And I don't feel a damn thing."

Was she even supposed to feel anything. For some reason, a part of her is telling her that she should be panicked, disgusted, and hyperventilating.

And yet... she felt unable to. Had whatever happened to her back at that clinic changed her? Actually... what _**HAD** _happened to her?

Curious, she turned back to the clinic. It rested there still with it's doors open, as if waiting for someone to enter. Lorelei grew curious, and backtracked.

She did not know what compelled her, but it is something she feels must be done.

She stepped back into the cemetery around the clinic, and entered. The mangled, half-eaten corpse was still there, as was the wolf. She pinched the bridge of her nose, recognizing the foul smell as decaying flesh. "...Gross." she muttered before she entered further inside. "Now, where is that room?"

She continued on, passing through the man twists and turns of the building. Seriously, just who built a complicated place like this?

Finally, she found it. However, to her confusion, the doors were closed shut. Even stranger still, she could make out a soft light from behind the opaque windows. "Is someone inside?" she wondered, her thoughts going back to the man she met before. She walked up the steps, gun and cleaver in hand. She stopped just short of the door, holstering the firearm.

She tried to open the door, only to find it locked. "Tch!" she scowled, trying a bit more forcefully. The door remained shut. "Fine then...!"

She was about to smash it down when a soft voice came from behind the door. "Who's there?"

Lorelei paused where she stood. That voice...she knew for sure that it didn't sound like it belonged here. Who was this?!

She extended the Saw Cleaver, and glared at whoever was behind the door. "I should be the one asking that!"

"Please, don't be alarmed, miss..." the voice, a woman from the sound of it, said softly. "My name is Iosefka... I run this clinic." She paused. "Are you... a Hunter?"

Huh...? A Hunter...? Well, that was what she was called before...so maybe? "...From what I've been told, I am. What is it to you?"

"Oh, my apologies," Iosefka apologized. "I... did not mean to be so rude. I'm sorry, but I can't allow you inside."

"What? What for?"

"Tonight is the hunt, after all, so..."

Lorelei frowned further. "An old man named Gehrman said something about that before... what exactly is this hunt?"

"Wait, you don't know about the hunt?" the unknown woman expressed surprise.

"...I don't really know anything. I'm not even sure how the hell I ended up in this place. Just what the hell is going on? Why are the people here... inhuman?"

"...You really don't know what is going on?"

"No. When I woke up, I did not possess any memories."

"You... don't remember anything?"

"No, I don't. Gehrman was the one who gave me the name Lorelei." she informed. "Now, answer my question already. What the hell is going on?"

"That's...going to take some time to explain."

"Well, I'm not compelled to go anywhere right now. But before that... Let me see you." Lorelei narrowed her eyes. "I won't trust someone who won't show me their face."

"T-that is..."

"If you don't, I'll bust this door down myself." she threatened. "Now, open the damned door."

"P-please don't do that! I am sorry, but there are reasons why i cannot open this door."

"And what are they?"

"It's..."

"You've got ten seconds before I break it down myself."

"W-what?!"

"Ten, nine..."

"W-wait, please! I-I can explain!"

"Eight, seven..."

"I-it's complicated! I can't open it-"

"Six, five..."

"Y-you can't!"

"Four, three..."

"N-no, wait, please!"

"Two, one-"

"_WAIT_!" Iosefka shouted. "I-I'll open the door! S-so please, don't break it down!"

"Good. You could've saved us ten seconds and have done so earlier." Lorelei deadpanned as the door creaked open.

"A-as I said, there's complications..." Iosefka stated as the door opened fully. She was a fairly tall woman, easily taller than Lorelei herself, wearing white robes and blonde hair. "C-come in..."

The girl nodded, and stepped inside. Iosefka closed the door behind her. "So, what is this hunt?" the girl asked as she turned to face Iosefka, her hands twitching slightly. If the woman made any move, she would draw her pistol and cleaver before she had a chance.

The woman nodded stiffly, clearly intimidated. "The hunt began perhaps around a year ago. Yharnam, as you might know, is a city of blood administration. By infusing people with special blood, we can cure any illness, wounds, or even diseases... even an illness deemed incurable. Think about it, a remedy that heals all ailments... it was like a gift from god. Thanks to this, the Healing Church, which handles all the blood administration, grew in power, and Yharnam prospered..." Iosefka's face grew saddened as she sat down on a nearby chair. "But... suddenly, everything went horribly wrong. It all began with the ashen blood plague that started in Old Yharnam..."

"The discovery of this blood made their dream of evolution a reality. Metamorphosis, and the excesses and deviation that followed, because the catalyst that started it all."

"Wait, because of BLOOD?" Lorelei asked, her face set in disbelief. "H-how is that even possible?"

"The Old Blood was something that which we could not understand, as it was found beneath the catacombs and tombs beneath the city." Iosefka explained. "The Ashen Blood was a curse. Men became like beasts, driven made by the blood in their veins. It was soon becoming apparent that we couldn't keep them contained. It didn't seem as if there was a cure... and then the Healing Church was founded, and used the Old Blood."

"You're saying...that this Old Blood was the cure?"

"It was. The tombs below Yharnam were onced called the Chalice Dungeons, once home to a civilization of the Tumerians...and the Great Ones. The Tumerians were a humanoid race, but the Great Ones were far from it."

"What were they?"

"In truth, even I don't really know." the woman shook her head. "I suppose the best way to describe them was... gods. They were unlike anything we had seen... wise, powerful, and far beyond our reaches. They spoke words of wisdom and power, but we did not understand them. A man named Caryll had found a way to understand them, and turned their words into runes, ways for us to become stronger. Anyway, with the administration of the Old Blood, the Ashen Blood was almost gone. The Healing Church became powerful, and Yharnam prospered..."

Iosefka let out a bitter laugh. "And just like a dream, it always shatters into something more... a nightmare."

"The Old Blood...was the blood of the Great Ones. WHile it had eliminated the Ashen blood...it took over the humans that it had been administered to.

"What used to be a city of miracles soon became a living hell. Imagine it, child... every day, seeing your loved ones, neighbors, friends, brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents... everyone you ever knew, turning into idle-minded, mindless, bloody monsters. The church abandoned us to our fates... but not you." The woman stared at Lorelei. "Not you Hunters... You were the ones to fight for us. You ignored the scorns and spites, and continued to cut them down, even if they were once people."

Lorelei gaped. So that was the true meaning of being a Hunter? Their true mission? "So... the Hunters... They kill anyone who's become a beast?" she asked, incredulous. "But, they are..."

"They used to be people..." Iosefka said sadly. "But not anymore. If anyone is still truly sane in Yharnam, then they continue to hide behind their doors, not daring to set even a foot inside. The hunt is on tonight, child... and it will be a very long night indeed."

"...How long will this madness last?"

"Only god knows, Lorelei." Iosefka said, though it was clear by her face that even she did not want this horrific plague to last any longer than it did. "Only god knows..."

"I see...but I must ask...Why are hunters tasked with this burden? Why us specifically? And why were we chosen for it?"

"I don't know. The Hunters have always carried this burden, ever since the days of Ludwig, a Hunter from the Healing Church who refused to simply abandon us in our time of need, and the First Hunter. However, it's been so long, hardly anyone remembers. If there is anyone who can recall anything, they would probably be at the Cathedral Ward."

"Cathedral Ward?"

Iosefka nodded. "Yes. You'll find it to the northwest of here. I hear a Hunter by the name of Eileen is there, hunting beasts. If there is anyone who can tell you about the Hunters, it is her."

"I see..." Lorelei nodded, bowing gratefully. "Thank you. And... sorry... for threatening to break down your door. It's just... waking up to seeing all of this, it's... Gods, I've never felt so confused or scared in my life. I killed three of them already. They were human, so why... Why don't I...?" Her body quivered. "Why... don't I feel guilty, or sick?"

"It's because you are now a Hunter. Whatever individual will you possessed before is now gone. All that is left now is your drive to hunt."

"I never asked for this," Lorelei said bitterly, still shaking. "Why... Why me?!"

"...I do not know...I am sorry..."

Lorelei sobbed, tears falling from her face. Iosefka's eyes drooped at the sight, standing up from her chair, and wrapped the girl in her arms. She held her close, patting her head and making motion circles on her back, the only source of comfort she could provide. Truly, her heart ached for this child. A girl, who looked so young, not even into adulthood, stripped of her memories and what made her human, was thrown out there to protect them, to kill beings who could once be called human.

It was like fate had damned her.

But why...? What she this child done wrong to invoke such burden on her?

"It's alright, child..." she tried to sooth her, speaking as gently as possible. "It will all be alright..."

"I...I..." Lorelei sniffed. It was a lot to take in. Her emotions were slowly resurfacing.

She felt sick to her stomach, the faces of the men she killed fresh in her mind. God, how could this have happened? Why did it have to be here? Why was she the one chosen to be a Hunter? Why did she have to kill those men? They used to be human, Iosefka said, but they were still human, regardless of what they were now! She killed them, and she felt nothing.

Why...what God made her to be like this?! What did she do wrong?!

"This..." Lorelei shuddered, clinging to Iosefka for dear life. "This is... so messed up...!"

Iosefka took pity on the poor girl.

She never asked for this to happen. She was just chosen as a Hunter.

And she wasn't sure which was a crueler fate. To become the beast that was driven mad by blood... or to become the one that hunted them.

* * *

Elsewhere, deeper into Central Yharnam, several beasts were being slaughtered. There were folks who were in the process of turning, with only faces or arms coated in fur, and then there were the rest, completely changed. Some had been pumped full of quicksilver bullets, others had been cut down.

In the center of it all was a man dressed in shabby black rags, a scarf wrapped around his neck, and a hat sitting atop his head. In his hands was a gigantic axe, which he swung with little difficulty. Strangely, his eyes were bandaged, leaving him blind to the world... yet he could so easily smell and hear his prey.

"Damned beasts!" Father Gascoigne screamed as he swung his axe, bisecting three men in a single strike. "Out of my way!"

However, as the slain fell, double their amount took their place. The sightless man swung his axe again, taking out the three at the vanguard while using his pistol to shoot down the remaining three at the rear. He had accomplished such motions so fluidly and accurately that it was as if he wasn't blind at all.

Then again, for a hunter as old as him, it was nothing more than child's play.

He has been around for a long time. It's been so long that he had forgotten how much time it had been since he first became a Hunter. Years... Decades.. .maybe a century? Who knows?

Gascoigne ducked underneath a swing of an axe, and then rammed his gun in his mouth, pulling the trigger.

The beast jerked back as the pullet tore through its mouth and exited from the back of its head. A mess of blood and gray matter splattered beneath it as it fell.

With a swing of his axe, the blade was jammed into the beast's stomach, and then the corpse was thrown against the horde, sending them flying.

In only a few minutes, the streets were littered with corpses, blood painting the streets. Gascoigne panted heavily, his axe shortened in his hand, and his gun heavy. Sweat poured down his brow.

He slouched slightly to catch his breath. The terror had past. The horde was decimated. All was quite...for now...

"...Too much shit tonight." the old man muttered as he leaned against the wall. "Bah... At this rate, Viola's going to have my head before any of these bastards. Tonight's hunt's a lot worse than usual."

He swung his axe angrily, ridding any leftover blood on its dulling edge. He would need to sharpen it soon.

He hefted it on his shoulder, moving away from the wall and stepping over the vast amount of corpses. He frowned slightly in disgust, his nose twitching. No matter how many hunts he goes out on, the smell of blood is always so damned potent.

He looked up, able to tell by the slight warmth of the sun that it was nearing evening soon. Right now, the sun was close to setting... meaning, soon enough, the real hunt would begin. Gascoigne knew he had a lot on his plate. First the amount of hordes, and then that beast out on the bridge... this hunt was going to be a long one.

He sighed in annoyance. He wondered how much longer he would have to hunt? Not that he didn't like it...but performing the same task over and over again just became so tedious.

That, and he didn't want to leave his daughters and wife out for too long.

He didn't want them in any danger. Even though he had been doing this job for a long time, he was still prone to error.

"...I hope they're all right."

* * *

"Thank you, Iosefka," Lorelei bowed deeply, standing at the front of the clinic. "I... really needed that."

The woman smiled gently, a hand on the girl's shoulder. "It's fine, child... I'm glad I could help you." She produced something from her robes, placing it in the pinkette's hand. "You will need these."

"Eh?" Looking down, she saw five glass vials containing a red liquid. "Is this... blood?"

"Blood Vials can heal wounds," he nurse stated. "It never hurts to have a few on hand. On be sure to keep an eye out for bullets... You'll be needing them if you're out on the hunt. Also, remember what I said earlier about the Cathedral Ward. If Eileen is there, she can tell you about the hunt in more detail."

"Eileen? Who is she?" Lorelei questioned.

"A companion of mine. She will provide you with more information."

The girl nodded. "Understood."

"Very good," the woman smiled further. "Also, there should be another hunter here in Central Yharnam. An old man named Father Gascoigne. He's experienced, but he can be quite a bit... stubborn. Ask him for help if you can."

"I'll be sure to do that." Lorelei nodded. "Once again, thank you for your help."

"Anytime dear child." Iosefka smiled again. "Anytime."

The hunter smiled as she turned and left. She may not know what had happened to her, but at least she's able to find answers.

She passed through the gate, and back to the streets. Though the gate to the right was locked down, that did not mean that there was another route. She looked around the street, trying to find perhaps a hole in a nearby wall, or a ladder. To her surprise, she saw a ladder suspended from atop a large building, easily leading upwards. On ground level, where she was, she saw a lever nearby.

Lorelei smiled. "Perfect."

SHe walked over and pulled on the lever. The ladder dropped down.

She didn't waste time, placing her hands on the bars, and pulling herself up, climbing up. As she did, she looked around. From above, she could see just how expansive Yharnam was, reaching out far beyond what she had thought possible. The sun was beautiful in it's orange sky, though the current situation had only brought forth a twisted painting to her eyes.

"If it weren't for this hunt thing, I think Yharnam would look beautiful," Lorelei smiled as she resumed her climb.

However, halfway, she stopped dead... and for good reason.

A shrilled shriek screamed high into the air.

The blood-curdling screech froze her blood. But her body had already begun moving.

"...I'm not looking forward to that." she muttered before she reached the top. Pulling herself up, she could get a full view of the city.

Her eyes scanned the grounds below her. Ever since waking up, her senses have been keen and sharp. SHe was able to see what was happening clearly.

"...Iosefka wasn't kidding when she said there was hardly anyone sane left."

She spoke grimly at the grisly sight before her. Down below, a pack of humanoid beasts had taken the liberty of mauling a group of fleeing humans.

No... they weren't human, not anymore. From here, she could already make out the small details: sharp fangs, small amounts of facial hair, lanky yet tall builds... there was little doubt.

Was there anyone that wasn't infected here in this city by the Old Blood? Or had everyone become tainted by it?

Once again, she was frustrated. Even with the information Iosefka supplied, she still knew so little. She needed information... but where could she get it? Moreover, if there was a sane person left, where would she...

..._oh_.

Turning, she saw a window with pale light coming out from it. From within, she could make out a faint shadow.

It moved quickly from within. His form was a blur seen through the windows.

"Here's hoping he's not a monster, or insane..." Lorelei whispered before approaching the window. She kept her weapons close, in case something happened. She tapped lightly on the glass. "Excuse me... is anyone there?"

"...Oh," a frail voice came from within. "A hunter? Hm... you don't look like you're from around here... and you're far too young. Are you an outsider?" She nodded. "Ah, I see... The name's Gilbert, a fellow outsider. I don't know why you came here... but you had better make a hasty exit. Yharnam's a god forsaken den of beasts now."

"Yes...I am well aware of that." Lorelei nodded. However, she wasn't about to let her guard down. Even though this man seemed cordial, what's not to say that he's like those beings that tried to kill her?

"Then you had better find a way out of here, and fast." Gilbert advised. "After all, tonight's hunt is more bloodier than you could have imagined. It's almost like the first days of the hunt."

"...Is that so?"

"Mm..." he nodded his shadowy head through the glass. "Still, for you to be so young... Ah, times have changed, haven't they?"

"I wouldn't know... Hey, what do you know about something called the paleblood?"

Paleblood... it was a question that had been plaguing her mind. She had asked Iosefka about it, but even she knew little. All she knew was that it was something very important, something that could transcend the hunt. Whatever it was, the old man who infused her with blood knew of it, but she didn't know where he was.

"Paleblood, you say? Hm... never heard of it." he informed her, sadly enough. "Still, if it's blood your interested in, you should try the Healing Church. They handle all sorts of blood administration here in Yharnam. Normally, you couldn't get through, especially since the bridge is locked down... but tonight's the night of the hunt. This might be your chance."

"...Thank you. I'll be sure to keep that in mind." The girl nodded in gratitude. This piece of information was intriguing. At least she knew where to go for a lead.

"Try to be careful, lass." Gilbert said, his voice showing concern. "You must have heard that cry, right? I don't know if it's true or not, but... supposedly, a terrifying beast has occupied the bridge. From what I hear, it's what used to be a Church Hunter named Ludwig. If you can, try to avoid it... Many Hunters died trying to kill the Cleric Beast, but none have returned."

"I will be careful." she promised. "And thanks again, Gilbert. My name is Lorelei."

"Lorelei... a beautiful name, for such a wee hunter." the man chuckled. "Good luck out there."

"I appreciate it." The girl nodded as she waved goodbye.

After speaking with Gilbert, she once again took a hold of her surroundings. To her left, where Gilbert's window was, was another locked gate. To the right, however, was a stairwell leading downward, likely leading to another part of the city.

However, her attention was focused on the small lamp that stayed on the ground. "How did that get here?" she frowned as she bent down on her knee. "This wasn't here before... was it?"

She extended her hand out to it.

However, when she brushed her fingers against it, something astonishing happened.

The lamp became lit, and small little creatures, the exact same ones from when she had her transfusion and gave her weapons, gathered around, holding onto the lamp and hanging to it.

"What are these things?!" She cried out as she hoisted her pistol.

To her shock, the creatures merely stared at her, some even tilted their heads, as if wondering what they were doing.

They were not attacking her. What was this?! They looked just like the creatures before...but what were they doing now?!

They made no movements, simply latching onto the lamp. However, one of the creatures looked at her, waving his hand as if to beckon her.

Lorelei looked on in confusion. Why was it acting like that? Still cautious, the girl took a tentative step forward.

The creature bent down, it's hand moving into the darkness it spawned from. Then, it pulled it's arm out, revealing a scroll in it's hand. Sadly, another creature was required as they propped the scroll open. Curious, and cautions, Lorelei bent down, and read it.

The contents stated: **_"OUR SERVICES IN THE HUNTER'S DREAM ARE NOW AVAILABLE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO BUSINESS WITH YOU._**"

Business? What did these creatures mean? Are they supposedly some form of traders?

They produced another scroll.

**_"TRADE BLOOD ECHOES FOR ITEMS AT BATH. GOOD PRICES."_**

Bath? Were they talking about the small bird bath off to the side, near that strange lifeless doll? They produced another scroll from within the dark murk they were attached to.

**_"THE FIRST HUNTER WISHES TO SPEAK WITH YOU. COME TO THE HUNTER'S DREAM AT YOUR OWN ACCORD."_**

The first hunter...? Just where would she find him?

As if to answer her question, the creatures pointed to the lamp.

"Huh? The lamp?" Lorelei turned to the object in question. How would that help?

Frowning her brow, she placed her hand against the lamp.

Then, she felt her senses become warped. Her eyes widened as she felt slightly light-headed, her surroundings becoming enclosed in fog.

"W-what... the..."

That was all she could speak before her body fell into a slumber, falling to it's side. The strange creatures gave her unconscious form some sort of salute before they vanished back into the ground, leaving the lamp alone. Lorelei's body simply faded away as the fog closed in around her.

Before long, she had vanished, her presence without a trace.

* * *

"Mn...nrgh..."

The petite girl slowly stirred awake. Her body feeling Groggy. She pried her eyelids open to take in her surroundings.

At first, her sight was blurry. She blinked and rubbed them, eroding away the mash and blotch of colors.

"...This is..." she breathed, astonished as she looked around. She was back in that strange place... the one Gehrman called "the Hunter's Dream".

Around her was nothing but empty wilderness and foliage. There were stone ruins positioned around her, but nothing indicated any other living soul nearby.

Lorelei stood to her feet, slowly rubbing away the grogginess that plagued her body. Looking around, she saw that little had changed. The strange doll still remained motionless, it's body lying against the brick wall. Off to the side, however, she saw the small birdbath, with the same strange creatures sitting in in the pool. Only two were there, only holding what looked like a red bottle, and the other simly had both hands clasped together, rubbing them in the same manner a shop owner would when expecting a customer.

Having a feeling of what to do next, Lorelei stepped over to the fountain with the strange creatures.

Instantly, the creature's features were lit with glee. If they had mouths capable of smiling, they would as they took out a scroll, and unfurled it.

The woman lowered her head to properly make out the text written on it.

_**"WE HAVE NEW ITEMS IN STOCK"**_

"New items...? What items did they even have before?" Lorelei asked herself in confusion. These little things definitely acted like vendors.

As if on cue, they produced a multitude of things. The items were so varied, from Blood Vials to bullets to even small white pills and a lantern or a torch. They even had the weapons Lorelei did not choose when they offered her them.

"Where on earth did they all get these?"

"The Messengers are a strange bunch, aren't they?" an old, familiar voice asked her, accompanied by the sound of wheels rolling against the pavement. Lorelei turned to see Gehrman coming towards her, still in his wheel chair. "Able to appear anyone in the dream, always offering what they can do to help... Curious, isn't it?"

"Messangers?" she parroted. "That's what these things are?"

"Yes. They always appear before Hunters. Whether it is out of compassion or curiosity is anyone's guess."

"...And where do they come from?"

"My dear Lorelei," Gehrman chuckled. "I have been asking myself that same question for _years_."

"You mean you don't know?" The woman raised an eyebrow. She would've thought that a man like Gehrman would have at least SOME idea. By the way he sounded, he had been around for quite some time. So it wouldn't be too far off to assume he has an idea.

"Just because I'm an old man doesn't mean I know everything." he said with a wistful smile. "Well, enough of that... I take it you've received the message?"

"For the most part, yeah." she nodded. "What did you want to speak with me about?"

"Let's just say...I heard from a little birdy that you had questions about the Hunt."

Lorelei frowned. "Well, what do you expect?" she fired back hotly. "You didn't think I would go around and hunt down poor bastards blindly without any knowledge, did you? Moreover, what in the hell happened in Yharnam? How could blood make one city into... into..."

"A god forsaken hellhole?" Gehrman offered, a wistful smile on his face. "I'm afraid... it's the end result of those who tried to play god."

"Play...God...?" SHe questioned.

"...You are aware of the story behind the Old Blood, correct?" She nodded. "...Then you must know that there were individuals who strove for greatness and transcendence with it. There was one man...a young, naive, foolish man...who believed that the Blood would be the next step in humanity's evolution. That with the Old Blood, they would elevate to the plane of existence as the Great Ones."

"...You don't mean..."

"Yes..." the old man nodded sadly, eyes shadowed in regret. "Rather than making them into god-like beings... it only made them into beasts. And that was how the Hunt began, all because of Laurence's foolishness. If you think the hunt tonight is bad, my dear Lorelei... the hunt that began all the others was just as terrible. And we did not have any capable hunters in those times either."

The girl winced upon being told these facts. Her kind had already painted the grisly images of bloodstained earth, splattered entrails, devoured corpses, rotting flesh, coagulating blood, exposed bones, foul stench, and bone-chilling howls of the beasts that were once men.

"So... how did they start?"

"...It wouldn't be a stretch to describe it as a bloody mess."

Lorelei paled. "If they were that bad... then how come no one called upon a Hunter at that point?"

"It's because they didn't exist." he informed her. "Back then, we didn't know how to deal with them. All we had were pitchforks, sickles, and torches, and guns. Hah, little good it did when the real beasties came forward."

SHe could only imagine it. Everyone who tried would've been slaughtered. Although, a question appeared in her mind. "If that's the case...when did they start to wise up? And how exactly were these Hunters formed?"

"You have the First Hunter to thank for that." Gehrman said. "As the name implied, he was the first one to start fighting. The first to begin the hunt. With him at the very front, it was like watching a reaper at work, taking the souls of the damned."

Lorelei couldn't help but be impressed. One man had stood up from the rest and chose to fight. She felt nothing but respect for his valor.

"Who was he?"

"Sadly, no one knows... other than that he was the fire that brought forth the inferno. After him came so many Hunters, each accomplished in their own rights." Gehrman adopted a sad smile. "Sadly, the Healing Church had believed that their strength was, in a word... useless."

"WHAT?!" Lorelei shrieked. "How could they call them useless?! They put their lives on the line to protect people!"

"WIth power comes ego, and the Healing Church had that in spades."

The woman could actually feel the disgust well up in her chest. "...You mean that the Church became so blind and arrogant out of their strength they treat all others inferior?! That's stupid!"

"That may be...but those fools are so blind to their own misgivings that it's not even pitiable."

"Thankfully, there was at least one good man in their numbers." Gehrman continued. "Ludwig, along with the First Hunter, stood at the very front, even though the Church had all but closed itself off to the world, hiding away in the Cathedral Ward. However, even they were not spared from the scourge. In time, they too joined their numbers. How ironic it was, for those who thought that they could use the Old Blood, only to learn that they were infected as well."

"Hmph, serves them right."

"Hah, perhaps..." the old man said dryly. "Well, onto other matters... It may be in your best interest to head to the Cathedral Ward. You see, there lies an old chapel there, connected to the Healing Church's workshop. Of course, it's been all but sealed away, but you may find a way to undo it, somewhere in Old Yharnam."

"Old Yharnam?" Lorelei frowned. "You mean, where the ashen blood was made?"

"Oh, yes... But take heed, my dear Loreleli, for Old Yharnam is more plagued with the scourge than anywhere else. I hear another hunter by the name of Djura is there, though he isn't too keen to outsiders. It appears he is among the few who know the truth about the Old Blood."

"So he would be the best option in seeking answers?"

"Indeed. But you must remain cautious." Gehrman spoke gravely. "Otherwise, you will never see the light of another day."

She frowned at this. Why would she be killed? Djura was another hunter, wasn't he? Or was he one gone mad? Either way, she had two clear destinations: the Cathedral Ward, where she could find Eileen, or Old Yharnam, where a retired hunter rested.

It was simply a matter of choosing which path to follow.

She learned from Iosfeka that Eileen also held information she sought. And there was nothing stopping her from visiting both areas. She figured it would be the best option to go to Eileen before facing the supposed perils of the route to the hunter.

"...I'll head to the Cathedral Ward first, then." she decided. "This Eileen person is supposed to know more about the hunt, so she's my best bet."

Gehrman nodded in approval, smiling upon hearing the name. "Ah... Eileen the Crow. She's a fine hunter. Even in her old age, she is still the best of us. She is a Hunter of Hunters, so perhaps you'll be able to learn a thing or two from her."

"Wait, Eileen is a hunter?" Lorelei raised an eyebrow. This was the first she heard of this.

"Oh, yes, one of the first to come after the First Hunter," he informed her. "But, she is no ordinary Hunter... In Yharnam, there are a few who have succumbed to the scourge of the blood, driven mad and left to wander, slaughtering whatever is left in front of them. Hunters are powerful, skilled, and adept to adjusting to their surroundings. As such, there is only one thing that can defeat a maddened Hunter... and that is another Hunter: a Hunter of Hunters."

"R-really?"

The old man chuckled. "Definitely. She is old and wise... she will definitely be of great help to you. However, be warned, Lorelei, for the Cathedral Ward is a dangerous place in and itself, especially since there are beasts that are quite troublesome to deal with."

"W-what are they?" she asked, slightly nervous.

"You'll find out soon enough... Though, before you can even think of moving ahead, you'll need to get rid of the Cleric Beast that's occupying the Great Bridge."

"I see." Lorelei nodded. "Thank you. I will be sure to keep that in mind."

Gehrman raised a hand. "It will be fine. Also, there is one other thing I should mention. As you experience the Hunt, in all of it's splendor, you'll find that your Insight will grow, as time passes."

"In...sight...?"

"There are some things in this world that are left unseen by the eyes of mortal men, my dear Lorelei." he told her. "Insight into this world will reveal things you could have never seen before... but that does not mean it will always be a good thing. Do keep that in mind."

The woman paused in thought. The man was right in a way. There had always been a saying that ignorance was bliss. Meaning that there are some things better off left unknown and uncovered. However, there was no time for such hesitation. She needed answers.

Lorelei nodded. "Thank you, Gehrman."

"Anytime, my dear." he said, a gentle smile on his face. "Anytime."

* * *

When Louise returned back to Yharnam, she managed to get herself some better equipment, thanks to the shop those creatures called the Messengers ran. Rather than her previous attire, she wore a long black cloak with a hood attached, covering the majority of her body until reaching her knees. She had on leather, knee-high boots, and a harness hidden underneath the cloak, which carried the larger gun. Strangely, while it should have been heavy, but to her, it was like lifting a weight. Covering her mouth was a face mask, which was attached to the shirt she wore. She also had on a black belt around her waist.

In one hand, she carried her blunderbuss, and in the other, the Saw Cleaver. Hidden away, attached to her belt, was a new weapon she purchased: the Threaded Cane.

She did not know what possessed her to purchase it...but it felt right with her. Plus, when she first tried it...she was definitely going to stick with it. It's an unusual weapon that is rather effective.

The Threaded Cane, as the name implied, was a cane with a sharpened end, as if it were a blade. However, when jammed into the ground, it went from a simple sword to a bladed whip, one that could easily cut down any that was in front of her.

She gave a small grin in appreciation of her versatile weapon. She was going to enjoy this.

Lorelei descended down the small path off to her right. It lead to a dead end filled with chained coffins: with only a small stairwell down to the right and a shattered fence to the left, leaving her two paths.

She took the right. She cautiously stepped forward, her footfalls slow and steady with her Cleaver ready. Her eyes darted around, looking for potential threats. As she reached the end of the dead end, she looked off to her right just in time to step back.

A man ran at her, swinging his cleaver wildly like a madman, drool and spit flying everywhere. He missed his mark when she jumped back, yet he still continued to swing.

"...Foolish lunatic." She muttered beneath her breath as she ducked and sidestepped around each sloppy swing. She gripped her Threaded Cane and swung it in response.

She had already extended it, allowing the blade to become a sharp whip. With a crackling lash, it snapped forward, the blade slicing off the poor bastard's arm, causing him to cry in pain. Again, she swung, this time taking off half of his head.

The deranged berserker slumped forward. His body hit the ground as a lifeless corpse. Blood and gray matter spilled through the exposed area within his head.

The familiar wisps of energy were common to her now, recognizing them as the currency the Messengers accepted: "Blood Echoes." Where the blood part came from, she had no idea, but the subsequent feeling of life pouring into her body was a pleasant feeling, one she cherished for a while before she moved on, walking down the path where the beast was hiding. It was a staircase leading down, likely to another level.

Choosing to take a risk unknown perils lurking below, She climbed down the set of stairs.

She reached the final step, and peered around the corner, seeing a beast-like man standing near another stairwell, holding a wooden shield and a flaming torch in his hand. Slumped against the wall was a man carrying a sickle.

_'One must be playing dead, and the other is standing guard.'_ she thought as she stepped into view, slipping her cane back into it's slender form. _'In that case...'_

She stepped forward, standing on her tiptoes and quieting her footsteps as much as possible, creeping up to the slumped man. He stirred, signs he knew of her presence.

However, she wouldn't let get the chance as she quickly dashed forward, and jammed the blade into his skull. The Threaded Cane pierced through his head easily, and stabbed into the wall. Her actions alerted the second beast, who turned around to face her. He appeared to be mostly transformed, cloaked in dark brown fur on his lanky arms and face, his nose set into a canine-like tip.

She let go of her blade, and aimed her pistol, pulling the trigger back. The bullet flew out of the barrel, and into the leg, eliciting a pained cry. The beast fell to it's knee. Then, she shot forward, and thrusted her arm forward, fingers tipped. The sound of flesh being ripped open rung in her ears, eyes gleaming with danger as her arm worked through his chest, twisting through the organs, and took hold of the spine.

With a sickening crunch, she pulled.

A large, thick tendril of bone, fluid, flesh, and blood was ripped out of the beast's body. It;s life was extinguished the moment the action was executed. Lorelei held up its spine before her to examine it. It was like a snaking body of dark yellow covered in intervals of thick ivory.

"...Even their bones have changed?" she furrowed her brow before discarding the spine. She walked past the dead beast, who had died on it's knees, eyes rolled to the back of it's head with it's tongue sticking out. She walked down the stairwell beside the corpse, only to curse as she pulled back, taking refuge behind a crate. "Damn," she mumbled, peering out.

Down bellow at the street, she saw a mob passing by, easily numbering in the four or fives. One was large, carrying an axe, two had butcher knives, one had a pitchfork, and the other carried another sickle.

"So now these things are in groups...? They are a lot smarter than I gave them credit for." The mob below them was just like a pack of wolves.

She bit her lip, pressing her thumb against her mouth. How should she handle this? With her Threaded Cane, she could deal with them much easier, attacking multiple targets rather than a single one... but it was a risky gamble. She was attacking several enemies, which would not be easy. There was five of them, and only one of her.

"...So troublesome." she murmured before she stood up, and walked over to the first corpse, pulling out her Threaded Cane from it's fleshy sheathe. "Oh well, only one way to deal with it.

There was no other option. She would have to face them sooner or later. And might as well do so while she had the element of surprise on her side.

She waited until they were past the stairwell, and their vision blocked by the corpses and crates. Thankfully, they didn't appear to pay attention to dead bodies, so that was a plus. Once they all had their backs turned, she quickly made her move. She moved out the staircase, and whirled around, charging at them with her Threaded Cane extended.

By the time the old hag holding the pitchfork noticed her presence, she was already in motion.

The bladed, segmented whip was already flying through the air like a lashing serpent. It's movements were wild and unpredictable from her rapid swing. The blades soared and sliced through anything in their path.

She killed two: one of the two holding the butcher knives, and the hag with the fork. Their blood splattered all across the walls and stone floor of Yharnam. In her attacks, she lopped off the arm of the second man holding a butcher knife. The one with the sickle lost his leg, sending him to the ground, skull slamming into the carrage wheel and knocking him unconscious. The last of them, the giant with the axe, had a deep gash in his chest.

While she eliminated two, the remaining three, while wounded, still stood. Without giving them a chance to recover, she whipped out his pistol and fired a succession of of shots, each one aimed for the vitals.

The first bullet struck the armless beast, hitting it straight in the chest and knocking him to the ground. Lorelei's second shot put a hole in in the unconscious beast's skull, killing it with a painless hit.

The third bullet struck the taller beast's shoulder, causing to hiss in both anger and pain. It endured, and brought up the axe. Sadly, Lorelei was slightly drained from her succession of attacks and shots, leaving her winded. The axe slammed down into her shoulder, tearing through bone and muscle.

"GAAAAAGH!" she screamed in pain, blood seeping into her cloak. The nerves in her right arm were shot, leaving it completely numb. The gun fell to the ground. She bit back the rest of her screams, and glared in absolute, seething fury as she swiped her functioning arm, her cloak fluttering about to reveal her Saw Cleaver.

"Mother_**fucking pig**_!" she scorned as she grabbed it by the hilt, and swing, slicing off the arm that destroyed her shoulder. The creature howled as it stumbled back, clutching it's newly formed stump. Blood sprayed everywhere, even on her small frame. She didn't mind it, grabbing the weapon lodged in her shoulder, and pulling it out, pain echoing all over her body. "Just fucking **_DIE_**!"

The blade flipped to the top of the hilt, and Lorelei plunged it straight into it's chest. The force of the thrust was enough to send it to the ground, but she wasn't done. She had him pinned, and she wasn't done. Not in the slightest. Adrenaline, pain, and anger fueled her as she pulled the Cleaver out, only to stab it back in, and pull it out again, and then slammed it back into it's chest.

With each stab, blood splattered. With each thrust, the crackling of bones resounded. With each impact, organs squelched. It app happened too quickly. WHen Lorelei was finally finished, the beast was nothing more than an unrecognizable lump of flesh.

"Haa... Haa..." Her breathing was heavy, her chest rising and falling. Her eyes were wide, adrenaline pumping at an extreme. Strangely, she felt her damaged shoulder again, able to move her arm once more. She ignored this, however, her mind still in fever from the slaughter.

She failed to notice that she was covered in blood, from head to toe, in the beast's blood.

...But even if she did, she wouldn't care. The beast deserved it. It hurt her...it was only natural to enact punishment.

"...What..."

Finally, her senses became clear. The smell of putrid flesh was almost nauseating to her, but what stunned her was the fact that her arm was now functioning again, despite the nerves being severed by the axe. She looked at the wound, only to find it closed, fresh blood seeping into a closing wound.

"...Wait, it's healing?"

Cautiously, she willed her fingers to move. Her digits followed her mental command. SHe could tell her nerves were restored due to the dexterity shown by her hand. But how could this be?

"...could it have been...?"

"Huh..."

Lorelei suddenly became alert, her sense flaring when she felt a presence creep up behind her.

"Nasty work... Never would have thought a child could do all this."

Her body jumped up, leaping into the air and landing away from the new presence, holding up her Cleaver and Gun. In front of her, and earlier behind her, was a man dressed in a tattered black robe with a hat sitting atop his old, ashen gray hair, a stubble of beard at his chin. In one hand was a blunderbuss, and in the other, an axe. However, what confused her was the cloth that covered his eyes, as if hiding his sight from something. Her mind went back to Gehrman's explanation to the Insight, the knowledge of perceiving what others could do. Perhaps this man refused to see what humans were not supposed to see, or couldn't handle.

"Who are you?!" she demanded, hostile to the newcomer. The man hummed again, tilting his head forward.

"From the sound of your voice... you must be 16. No, 17..." he muttered, his voice laced with slight emotion. "...you are far too young to be hunting beasts, girl. Go back home to your family, lest you be eaten by them."

Lorelei briefly looked toward the ground at her feet. Family...She didn't even know where hers was. She didn't even know who she was in the past! "...A little late for that. I don;t even know where I am or how I got here. All I know is that I'm supposed to be a hunter. And for that matter, who the hell are you?"

"Someone who actually gives a damn." the man snorted. "Just go back to wherever you came from, or just find a place to crawl and hide. The hunt is no place for a child."

"You didn't answer me question." Lorelei glared. "Who are you?"

"...Gascoigne." he replied, his tone even and flat. "Go home, child... and pray you never see a beast again."

The man, now identified as Gascoigne, turned to walk away. But Lorelei was left offended, questioning, and enraged.

"Wait, you old bastard!" the woman shouted, chasing after him. "Dammit, you need to answer my questions! You're the only other sane person I've met besides Gilbert!"

"And let me guess, he stays inside?" the old man questioned, his back still turned to her. "You should do the same."

"And why the hell should I?!" she snarled. "I've already killed plenty!"

Gascoigne stopped in his tracks. At first, Lorelei thought he would be horrified, or at least, disturbed that she could kill so easily. No, instead, he threw his head back with laughter. "W-what's so funny?!"

"I'm laughing..." he cackled, turning to face her, a toothy grin etched on his face, revealing his old, disgusting teeth. "...because lass thinks that just because she killed a few beasts means she's suddenly the new sheriff in town."

"Grr..." she growled, feeling irritated. "Look... I know I'm not invincible, but I'm not just going to sit around and wait for this hunt to end!"

"Then you're a fool."

"And what does that make you, old man?!"

Someone who's seen more bloodshed and deaths than your lifetime, young miss."

"Look, you stubborn old-"

Lorelei stopped when she once again heard a shrill cry wretch into the air, it's horrible screaming plunging into her ears. "T-that thing again?!" she asked, holding her ears closed. Gascoigne merely clucked his tongue in annoyance, looking off to where it originated. "What the hell is that?!"

"...what used to be a fine Hunter." she received a reply from the old Hunter. Soon, the shrill cries died down. "Sounds close... could be up on the Great Bridge."

"So, wait... you mean... that thing's the Cleric Beast?"

"Might be..." he shrugged. "Could be another disgusting beast." He frowned later, turning to the girl. "What are you still doing here, girl? Go on home!"

"No way!" she snapped back in defiance, crossing her arms. "Gehrman and miss Iosefka have given me a lot of help, and I'm not about to waste it by just hiding in some hole! I need to get to the Cathedral Ward!"

Strangely, surprise filled the old man's face. "...why do you want to go the Cathedral Ward?"

"There's a hunter named Eileen the Crow. She has information about what's happening here, and I need answers." she informed him. "Gehrman's already filled me in on most of the stuff that's happening, and miss Iosefka already told me about what these things..." she trailed off, her face slightly pale. "...who they used used be..." she corrected herself. "And I need to know if it's just this." Lorelei gestured to the city itself, though she doubted the old man could see her properly. "If it's really just a city of mad beasts."

The man paused, facing in her direction. He seemed to be contemplating on her words. With a frustrated sigh, he turned and continued. "...Very well. But that stubbornness will be the death of you."

"Wait, where are you going?!"

"Where do you think?" he shouted over his shoulder. "After that beast!"

"H-hold up, I'm coming with you!"

"And just what can you do?!"

"Wh-what?!"

She was stunned for a moment, but then thought about it. All she could do was kill beasts, slaughter anything that moved. Gascoigne... he appeared to be experienced, more powerful. In a way, all she could do was just cut down things that could no longer think.

Even so...!

"...I may be small, and I might not be able to help much..." she said slowly, her voice laced with conviction. "...But... I am NOT weak!"

"...that remains to be seen. But it seems your conviction is not false...do as you like."

This brought forth a bright smile on her face, a bounce of her step as she followed the old man close behind. Even though he was displeased somewhat, he couldn't deny the girl had fire. He had seen her actions, observing from afar as she cut down beast after beast. Without a doubt, with proper training, she could easily become a fine Hunter, perhaps on the same level as Eileen was, back before she became a shriveled old hag.

Still... why was one so young apart of the Hunt? And who was this Gehrman she spoke of?

He did not know anyone by that name. And he's been around for a long time. Furthermore, why was this girl chosen to be a Hunter? There had to be a reason for it. But for what...he did not know.

For now, he would simply observe her progress.

* * *

Back in the Hunter's Dream, Gehrman was inside the workshop, his frail, wrinkled hands pushing the wheels to push him forward, stopping just short of the desk in front of him. Laid out were an assortment of things, ranging from blueprints of weapons to schematics for bullets, and even old documents, all of which detailing the characteristics of the Old Blood, the Chalice Dungeons, and even the history of the Hunters.

The old man was staring at one document in particular, which carried a sketch of what looked like some sort of demented creature. It's body was slim, bone-like with multiple arms, and a head that held nothing but eyes. Beside it was some kind of pill-bug with a dome-shaped head, lined with many eyes. Above it was a demonic creature, grotesque with a bulbous head, writhing tentacles in the form of wings. However, it was the being on the second page that he was observing.

It was an odd creature, with a skin and bone-like structure, the physique close to that of a human, but it had sharp claws for hands, and a tilted head, bearing no face, only two misshapen holes. What could be considered hair were long and lashing tendrils, whirling around with sharpened blades at the tips. Behind it was a moon, with the tendrils stretching out as if attached to it. The name of the creature was listed next to the moon.

_**"The Moon Presence"**_

Gehrman slowly traced his hands around each of the pictures, mostly around the final one. The creatures depicted on these pieces of parchment were none other than the Great Ones. The Beings that exist on a higher plane than humanity.

"How long has it been..." he muttered aloud. "Since you all came to us...?"

His mind became lost in the sea of memories for countless years ago. From the times when he had been an ambitious, curious young man, seeking the answer for humanity to transcend to a greater plane.

Now look where he was: an old man, forced to look after to dream. He didn't know how long he had been here, but he knew it was long enough for him to be at least 100 years old by now. He would look after the hunters, train them to be efficient, and when their work was complete, offer them the way out. Many left the dream, and others... well, they required 'persuasion' of sorts. After all, it usually comes down to the hunter's helper to clean up the mess, does it not?

And yet... Lorelei held potential.

He did not know what made him think of such...but he had a keen instinct that she was different than the rest.

She was young, and more than simply an outsider to Yharnam. She had arrived from a land that had been all but forgotten to them, lands that would have been considered heretical by the Healing Church. Gehrman and Willam and Laurance would have probably ventured there to learn their secrets.

Lorelei... or rather, Louise Francois le Blanc de la Valliere, was not a mere Hunter, nor was she by an means, a mere "mage."

She was a child of the Origin, a daughter of the Void, a wielder of the power of the Founder of Magic. To Yharnam, the art of magic had been long forgotten, and now here a child of the Origin stood, now given the Old Blood.

A part of him had burned with the scientific curiosity that he had once possessed so long ago. He had wondered how she would grow and develop. There hasn't been a subject that was a descendent of Origin who received the blood. The results could either become a miracle, or a cataclysm.

And he didn't dare to think what had happened if she went mad with the blood, and found a way to awaken to the power that laid dormant within her. If such a thing were to occur, she would become a problem much worse than any Great One left here in Yharnam.

And if that were to happen, well... it would be up to the hunter's helper to clean up the mess.

Gehrman was so engrossed in his work, observing old notes and such that he failed to notice that the doll outside the building, body laid against the wall near the line of headstones, began to show movement. Her hands twitched, slender mechanical digits moving slightly, curling into balls, and the eyelids shuddered, slowly moving upwards before revealing glassy, yet human-like eyes.

When she moved, her sleeve moved upward, revealing a strange abnormal smirch that was not there before.

It was as if someone had burned runes into her arm.

* * *

Gascoigne had to admit, for such a small girl, she was quite the spitfire.

"MOTHERFUCKING BASTARD!"

WIth the loud cry, Lorelei cleaved a beast in two straight down the middle. She followed up the action by spinning around and shooting another one dead on between the eyes.

Those had been the latest victims in a string of ten kills, set in what looked like a plaza, or at least some kind of pyre, as a beast was hung up on a cross, left to burn. Even from where he was, he could smell the burning flesh invading his nostrils, causing them to flare and sting angrily. The girl didn't seem to mind, though this was because a beast had shot her in the leg, and a hag stabbed her with a pitchfork.

She was not happy. Before he even had a chance to join in, she began to slaughter them. With each strike, their blood became like healing, the bullet forced out of her flesh and dropping to the floor, the hole closing up as if it were never there to begin with, and the pierced chest healed closed. And that had been when she killed two of the beasts...

...and lopped off a maddened dog's head with the Threaded Cane.

The bladed whip proceeded to hack off the limbs of others that stood in its path. Even more blood splattered into the air and around her.

Lorelei herself looked like a demon out for vengeance. She wielded the whip in tandem with her Cleaver, switching between weapons masterfully like an expert hunter and shooting where the beasts were most weak, aiming for vitals, limbs, and their skulls.

By the time she was done, there was corpses laid about all around her, limbs left to float in pools of blood. She stood in the center of it all, pistol in one hand and Cleaver in the other, panting heavily with sweat pouring down her face. Her cloak, face, boots, even her strange, strawberry pink hair was smeared with blood.

She appeared to be a demon who clawed out from the depths of Hell, forever wrapped in a sea of carnage. That was only how the man could describe her.

Lorelei was breathing heavily, or mind hazy. Just like before, an unimaginable rage had consumed her, wanting to tear apart whatever stood in front of her, whatever had dared to harm her. She wanted them dead. She wanted them gone.

She wanted their blood.

Her reasoning and conscience had faded to the point of nonexistence. The surging torrent of blood lust had overwhelmed her senses and train of thought. Her weapons in her hands hungered for slaughter.

She was a berserker now.

"Oi, brat."

The words of the old man had dulled the blood lust, and the haze that clouded her had dispersed. She turned to see Gascoigne, his axe resting on his shoulder, and his blunderbuss hanging idly in his hand, laying near his side.

"If I were you, I'd learn to handle that temper." he advised. "Otherwise... you'll just be another beast. You would be surprised how many lose themselves to the hunger of blood."

Lorelei visibly flinched from the remark. She had a right to be angry...but did not desire to fall to such madness. Sighing, she reigned in her fury and calmed down.

"...Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing, child?" Gascoigne asked. If his facial expression meant anything, it was clear he was raising an eyebrow. "You killed out of anger, and out for blood. It is a natural instinct. Just don't lose yourself to it, and you'll be fine."

"Actually... how come my wounds are healed? I got stabbed in the stomach by a pitchfork for god's sake!"

"The blood of a Hunter is that of the Old Blood, only made for special purposes... or so I was told back when I used to work for the Church." Gascoigne explained. "When blood is spilled, blood shall be gain. When pain is given to you, give pain to them. When something is taken, you take it back. If your blood is taken, then you take it back by spilling their blood."

Lorelei frowned. "So, if I am hurt... I have to hurt them to heal?"

"Simply put, yes." he said. "Now be quiet. Use your ears... what do you hear?"

The woman silenced herself. Her ears remained alert. She heard the rushing air from the breeze. But it was more than that...she kept hearing the moans of the wisps.

"What... is that...?" She focused her hearing, her hands curling around her ears. "It's... so different."

"The last moments of their sanity," he informed her. "The echoes of their humanity. They say you can't put a price on human life, but in death, they're worth far more than you would ever thought possible. That's why the Messengers, those damned little things, offer their services. In a way... they keep their sanity alive in some way. They take what is left of their purity, unsoiled by the blood, and take it a world that's... far off, I suppose. It's where we will go when our time ends."

"So...they try to save them and send them to the afterlife?" She stated in laymen terms.

"Indeed."

"...What do you suppose it's like?"

Gascoigne smiled slightly, whimsical and tired. "A better place than this hellhole, that is for sure." He shrugged off the weight of his axe, moving forward. "Let's go, girl. We have a beast to hunt, after all."

Lorelei nodded, and followed after him.

She kept a firm grip on her Threaded Cane and pistol, knowing she was going to need them as they advanced. In a hell like this...monsters will always attack.

As they progressed, they came across more beasts: though two were bizarre. Other than the mangey dogs, who's fur were matted and soiled with the stench of blood, drool flowing freely from their jaws, she saw black crows resting on the ground, their bodies large and fat, as if having drunk too much blood.

The second was a giant, easily three heads taller than her, with firm muscle wielding a hammer in hand, and a face clothed in bandages. He was ramming his large frame against a wooden gate, barred with steel. It refused to move even an inch. Even still, it persisted. She was about to move, aiming to kill it herself, but Gascoigne stepped forward, axe in hand. "What a brute." he said in disdain. "Don't worry... I'll bring an end to your misery."

The giant stopped, noticing a presence closing up on it. It turned, showing that most of it's muscle was over weighing it's skin, making it appear as if his left eye was droopy. His face was set to cluelessness, drool falling from one side.

_'All muscle, and no brain,'_ Lorelei thought as she watched Gascoigne approach it, a toothy grin forming on his face as he set his blunderbuss in it's hulster, and slammed a wooden rod into the handle of his axe, twisting it until a click echoed in her ears. The axe was now longer in reach, and the old man held in two hands. He twirled it around before slamming his foot on the ground, bellowing.

"Come on, you filthy beast! Come and meet your maker!"

While the beast held no intelligence, it still had instinct. In response to the challenge, it opened its maw and gave a great roar.

A small shockwave rocked a nearby carriage, enough to toss it on it's side. The beast charged, shoulder forward with the intent of smashing the priest into the ground. Gascoigne didn't lose his grin as he reared his axe back, pulling a leg back in tow. His grip on the shaft tightened.

Then, when the large beast was within range, he swung. The axe slammed directly into it's gut, but Lorelei found herself stunned and gawking.

The beast was lifted up into the air, the axe blade still lodged in it's stomach. "Die, you filthy maggot!" the old man screamed a battle cry as he slammed his axe down.

The beast cried as its body impacted with the ground. Blood sprayed from its wound and mouth. Its bones cracked from the force of the landing.

Gascoigne pulled up his axe, blood splattered all across the gleaming silver, and then slammed it back down, with just as much force as before. The force the impact crushed the skull completely rather than cleave it in half, and the ground shook beneath his feet, debris flying into the air. Brain matter and blood splattered across his robes, but the old man didn't seem to care.

Lorelei was left stunned, eyes glued on Gascoigne. She knew the old man was experienced if he could hunt blind, and especially given his age... but his physical strength was monstrous!

It was unlike anything she had ever witnessed before. Did the Old Blood have something to do with his physical capabilities?

"..Whoa..."

"Heh...Whoa? That's all you have to say, young one?" The man smirked back at her.

"H-how the hell...?" she breathed. "Did you..."

"When it comes to the blood of a hunter, brat," Gascoigne shortened the axe back to it's original length, and brought his gun back into his hand. "This level of strength is nothing. If you wanted to... you could snap a beast's neck with your bare hands."

The girl just stared at her own hands in response. Was such a thing...really possible?

"Well, enough prattle..." he said, moving past her. "Let's go."

"R-right!" she nodded. They resumed their walk, and cut down whatever beast they met. Soon enough, they reached up to the bridge. Lorelei gawked at the sight, seeing what could only be described as a wreckage. The entire bridge was clustered with pieces of junk. Crates, coffins, carriages...

However, what terrified her, and yet also infuriated her, were the two familiar creatures in front of her. Gascoigne clucked his tongue in annoyance.

There were two wolves, the same as the one she killed back at Iosefka's clinic, were pacing back and forth.

"C'mon, there are more of these stupid mutts?!"

Lorelei cursed in annoyance as she pulled out her Threaded Cane. SHe was itching to tear them apart.

Lorelei cursed in annoyance as she pulled out her Threaded Cane. SHe was itching to rip their heads from their mangy bodies. She wanted them to bleed. She wanted them to see their own deaths. She wanted them to hurt!

She wanted to tear off their heads!

She grabbed her cleaver and stalked toward the beasts. Once she started, she leaped forth at tremendous speed.

Gascoigne joined her, his axe in hand. The wolves noticed them, and growled, moving forward to greet them.

...But the one on the left was greeted with a bladed whip through the skull. The tip of the Threaded Cane tore through right between its eyes and bisected its body.

The blade extended at the moment of impact, the tip poking through the backside of the midsection of his back. Lorelei pulled it out, and slammed her heel into it's jaw, knocking it away and sending it over the railing of the bridge, it's furry corpse hurling to the street below.

Gascoigne got to the second wolf before it had a chance to retaliate. He hacked its jaw off with his ax before shoving the barrel of his pistol into its open maw and fired a few rounds. The bullets caused massive internal damage as vital organs within its path of fire ruptured. Some of them even ripped into its spinal cord.

Sep 26However, it remained strong. Despite it's injuries, it stood it's ground, snarling with only the remnants of the jaw, and bloody portions of it's body left. It was about to move when Lorelei suddenly leaped onto it's back, her Cane extended.

Gascoigne's eyes widened when she wrapped the Threaded Cane around it's neck, taking the blades into her hands. The blade dug into neck, wrapped so tightly that the head was being cut. The creature struggled, trying to throw her off, but she didn't let up. Her whip continued to dig into the neck, trying to suffocate it, or even lop it off.

Then, Gascoigne heard the sound of neck's creaking.

The slow, but audible, crackling of bones could be heard. The Beast appeared as if it were suffering and choking. Lorelei just continued on in a grim manner. With one swift tug, the noose jerked up and broke the feeble neck and removed the head.

Blood gushed everywhere, spraying all across the bridge and anything in front of the neck-stump, the corpse falling forward with a heavy thud. Lorelei panted heavily, her Threaded Cane in her hands. The edge's had dug into her palms, causing them to bleed, but she strangely felt no pain from the weapon.

The old man whistled. "Well," Gascoigne remarked. "First time I've seen a wee little lass rip off a lycanthrope's head with a Threaded Cane that way."

The woman just looked at him and shrugged. But she appreciated the compliment.

She whipped the cane back it's original state, and looked around the bridge. "It's a mess up here," she commented. Gascoigne merely chuckled as he stepped over the corpse of the wolf, and proceeded past her, looking around and keeping his ears open for potential threats. "And there are so many coffins... just how many died during the outbreak?"

"...more than enough." the old man said cryptically. "Let's go. The Cleric Beast is around here somewhere."

"right." Lorelei nodded and followed. The sooner this was over, the better.

As they made their way across the bridge, they came across a few other beasts. A man with a sickle tried to rush them from behind, but found himself decapitated by Gascoigne. There was also another giant with a hammer, and a few of those crows lying on the ground. Lorelei easily dispatched the crows, while Gascoigne personally took care of the brawny creature.

Like last time, she marveled at his physical strength as he chopped the poor bastard at the torso, separating it from his legs, and leaving behind his entrails, blood and gore splattered across the ground.

It wasn't long before they reached the end of the bridge, standing just at the gate. In front of them was an open space, and at the far end, a gate closed shut.

"Well, this is the place." The man said as they arrived.

"...It's too quite here. Just where is the Cleric beast?"

As if to answer her question, yet another shrilled screech howled int the air. Lorelei blinked, her eyes darting to around while the old man once again went from holding his axe with one hand to two with an attachment stick. The girl whipped out her Saw Cleaver, her body tense.

Once again, the unknown creature cried, and finally appeared.

Gascoigne's facial features suggested that he had widened eyes, and Lorelei paled.

"Oh my god..."

When she first heard of the name, Cleric Beast, Lorelei originally imagined it to be just like the other beasts she had slain, only larger.

Oh how she was dead wrong...

The...thing before her couldn't even be described as a Beast.

It was far larger than she was, nothing a skinny body lined with fur and a misshapen head, resembling a deer or some kind of horned creature. It's right arm came down to it's protruding waist, while the left arm was far larger, and far bigger. It had a claw that could easily grab one of the carriages on the bridge with it's hand and would throw it to great lengths. It's whole body was lined with matted, mangled black fur, it's skin wrinkled and clinging to the bone.

"For what it's worth, lass..." Gascoigne said next to her, a toothy grin etched on his face. "...welcome to the Hunt."


End file.
